Was community college worth it?

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Community college gets a really bad representation despite how many programs and opportunities they offer to students.

In March 2020, my senior year of high school was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I can’t say that the pandemic benefited my social development, but it gave me time to figure out certain aspects of life. While I never truly participated in any school spirit activities, the harsh reality of adulthood simultaneously took full charge and paused. There would be no more Model UN conferences, no more “Say No to the R-Word” campaigns, and something I will never forget: cafeteria grilled bagel breakfast sandwiches, the only edible food at that school.

In the fall of 2019, the only thing school counselors would tell seniors was: college, college, college. Questions ranged from, “Have you applied to college yet?” to “Have you submitted your AP and SAT scores yet?” As someone who is a poor test taker, I would always get aggravated by this as my scores don’t reflect my motivation to learn. Four years later, I can confidently say my motivation to learn is back, but what a journey it took to get here.

I’m not sure how society has the mindset that expects seventeen-year-olds to know exactly what they want to study after high school if they choose to go to college. I certainly didn’t know. 

At least three people I know who were set on studying biology have now switched their focus to other majors, such as business, landscape architecture, or psychology. After it became obvious that the “two weeks off of school” became “seniors will not be returning to school,” I begrudgingly agreed with my parents to attend community college after high school graduation. 

Any stereotype or perception that community college somehow was “less than” a regular college flew out the window in the Fall 2020 semester. COVID forced me to start my college career online and hybrid, which definitely stunted my learning abilities and, more importantly, my ability to socialize. I didn’t have many friends in high school, but starting in eleventh grade, I began to branch out. The pandemic seemingly stunted the progress I made. Little did I know that becoming a part-time student would allow me to learn so much more than what classes I took.

Starting at community college, especially with a smaller-than-usual campus population, helped me find out what I liked and did not like. Academically, it turns out I don’t like taking coursework in biology but love taking classes in sociology. Extracurricularly, it turns out I do not like being a member of the student government. All the things I thought I enjoyed in high school suddenly no longer applied to my college life. 

The beauty of community college was, in fact, its proximity to the community I grew up in. Living only twenty minutes away from campus allowed me to participate in local politics, activities that benefited the community, and more! Had I chosen to attend a four-year college directly after high school, I would not have had the experiences and connections I have today. 

Community colleges get an unfairly bad reputation. With the ever-increasing university costs, starting at a community college saves thousands of dollars. If I were to start over, I would definitely choose to attend again. Though socially, it wasn’t always the greatest, I saved money getting my general education requirements out of the way and figured out what I wanted to do without burdening myself with debt. Even with COVID, community college was the stepping stone I truly needed.